Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1kg/2¼lb onions
• roughly chopped
• 500ml/18fl oz medium-dry cider
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• pinch dried thyme
• 1 small bay leaf
• 2 litres/3½ pints chicken stock (vegetarians can substitute with vegetable stock)
• 225g/8oz potato
• peeled and diced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tbsp butter
• room temperature
• 2 tbsp single cream
• 4 tbsp Stilton (or Cashel Blue)
• crumbled
• room temperature
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley
• chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh chives
• chopped
• onions fried in butter and fresh chervil

Directions

• Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan
• add the onions and cook gently over a medium heat for 15 minutes
• or until soft and lightly browned.
• Add the cider and cider vinegar and boil until reduced by about a half.
• Add the thyme
• bay leaf
• chicken stock
• potato and a little salt. Bring to a simmer
• and cook for about 15 minutes over a low heat.
• Remove the bay leaf and purée the soup with a hand blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• To make the Stilton butter
• mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until they are well blended.
• To serve
• ladle the hot soup into warm bowls. Add 1 tbsp of the Stilton butter to each bowl and garnish with fried onions and chervil